Everyone knows you need a campaign video to tell your initial story in a crowdfunding campaign. And most people know that many different kinds of videos can work – they can be very simple, or elaborate. They can cost next to nothing, or thousands. It all depends on your purpose, branding, project, resources and what is needed.
Why video?
Almost nothing beats video updates on your campaign page that can be shared out to contributors via the updates. Video is the closest to face-to-face that you can get – you have the chance to share your passion, enthusiasm and determination for your project—all three of which are important for people to make the decision to invest in you, your project, your cause, your product or your company.
Regular updates give you something new to say on a regular basis, and they keep people engaged. Like a TV series (as opposed to a movie), your contributors get to know you as a character, they become more interested in your welfare and how you’re progressing toward your goal.
More videos gives you more opportunity to do more show and tell.
The more they know and become invested in your fate, the more they may contribute. And, every time you make a video, and share it out through your channels, you may reach new audiences.
Videos can be as simple to make as recording with your smartphone, or computer webcam. Easy uploaders directly to most crowdfunding platforms make it painless.
Want some real incentive? Indiegogo campaigns that use on average raise 114% more funds, and four times more than those that don’t!
No one can eat just one
Videos are just about as addictive as potato chips, so don’t stop at just making one launch video—you can very effectively use quick video clips for regular contributor updates, or for commercials to run in other media like YouTube and Facebook, for example.
We did that a few years ago with this campaign.
Author Gail Krawetz is benefitting from “vidbits” supporting her campaign.
The author was interviewed and the resulting video was clipped into multiple single question/answer pieces. I call them vidbits 🙂 They give little tidbits that keep the viewer checking back in when they see new ones promoted via our social media channels. They’re engaging, short and add more information as the campaign goes along. (This campaign ended at more than $40,000 in pre-sales and contributions.)
You can also use them in guest posts about your campaign for niche bloggers who can really help amp up your crowd networking for you. If you plan it right, you can even make your initial story campaign video and have it organized so that you can cut clips out for various commercials, so you minimize your work and maximize your content production.
The brass tacks
Making videos may not be your strong suit…it isn’t for most people. easier. Here are some great resources to make your video planning and execution a lot easier: 8 Video Creation Tips to Ramp Up Your Crowdfunding Campaign (Desmond Wong, Indiegogo, 4/22/16)
Among other helpful tips, Desmond suggests the possibility of renting video equipment rather than buying it if you’re only going to use it for the short term…great idea!
How to DIY: Home Studio Setup for Video Production (Ashley Hockney, Teachable.com, 8/5/15)
This is the post I used to set up my studio, and I make many videos for my online courses and campaigns. I found Ashley really deconstructs and takes all the vagueness out of this process that can be overwhelming for someone who tries to research what the best equipment or process might be.
You can go with acquiring some teleprompting equipment and experience if you intend to make a lot of videos, (for your campaign and other purposes), but Desmond’s advice about trying to memorize your script and rehearse your delivery also works.
Remember you can always edit, so don’t worry about starting over if you muff up a word, or forget what you wanted to say. Keep the camera rolling, check your notes, and start over. And that keeps it simpler than dealing with all the teleprompter related equipment and processes. Here are more tips more on the narration process.
And most importantly, your video is your story. Plan your story carefully.
